At 2 p.m. on Oct. 23, the Ho-Chunk Nation opens the first phase of Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit near the corner of Willowbrook and Colley roads. The road beside it, a stretch of Colley Road leading up to the Interstate 39/90 bridge, has been closed to through traffic since August. The City of Beloit's only stated finish date for it is "late fall 2026," depending on weather.
So the building opens before its own road work is done. For anyone living on Beloit's east side, the 23rd starts a run of dates that stretches through 2028. Each piece has its own funding source and its own schedule. The casino floor comes first. The rest of the area catches up over several years.
What Actually Opens On The 23rd
The Beloit Daily News describes the opening as the first part of a 1.2-million-square-foot casino, hotel and convention center project expected to cost at least $705 million. The paper says the project took essentially 25 years of starts and stops, and ground was broken in October 2024.
Phase one includes:
- The casino floor, open 24 hours, per WMTV
- Draft Pick Pub House
- Black River Coffee Shop
- Livewire Lounge
- Food Truck Alley
- A parking garage, also open 24 hours, according to MyStateline
The Nation has not said much about the food venues yet. Its announcements name the four outlets but don't explain how Food Truck Alley will work or who will serve there. The Daily News and WMTV both report 1,300 slot machines. The FAQ on the official Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit site lists 1,500 slots and 44 table games, and that page carries no date. The two counts may simply come from different stages of planning.
WMTV reports that the grand opening will include a ribbon cutting, guest speakers, a drum group, dancers and live entertainment throughout the day. Some approvals were still pending when the date was announced. The City Council's Oct. 5 agenda included Resolution 2026-139, which covers Class "B" beer and Reserve Class "B" liquor licenses for 777 Willowbrook Road. The packet says the licenses would depend on required inspections. In the story announcing the opening date, the Daily News said the Nation did not yet have an occupancy permit for the site. Public records reviewed for this post don't show the council's final vote or a permit being issued. Oct. 23 is the announced date, and any inspections or permits still outstanding have to be finished before then.
Why Colley Road Got Moved Up
The Colley Road work started out as part of one large road project. The city and the Ho-Chunk Nation first agreed on improvements to both Willowbrook and Colley roads in 2021. Most of the money was supposed to come from a $13.5 million Federal Highway Administration grant.
Then the schedules stopped lining up. The Beloit Daily News reported that with the federal agency in charge, design issues were going to push the whole project into 2027, well after the casino's planned opening. In April, the City Council voted to split the project in two. The Ho-Chunk Nation Transportation Authority agreed to raise its share of the costs for both roads from $2.4 million to $4.52 million. That took Colley Road out of the federal grant so it could be built this year.
Of the $4.52 million the Nation committed, $3 million goes to Colley. The rest moves to the later Willowbrook work. The city covers any costs that the grant and the Nation's money don't.
Janesville-based Rock Road Companies won the Colley contract with a bid of $2,068,746, which was 23% below the engineer's estimate. With more than $310,000 in possible change orders, the final project bid comes to $2,379,058.
The city's Aug. 6 notice said work would start Aug. 10 and described what will change on that stretch:
- A full reconstruction of the road from Willowbrook Road to the I-39/90 bridge
- A shared-use path along one side
- A sidewalk along the other side
- A new alignment with gentler curves
The notice said access to Springbrook Village would stay open during construction, and through traffic was sent to other routes. The city has given no exact reopening date beyond late fall. Until it does, the old detour habits on that corner still apply.
The Road Still On The Federal Schedule
Willowbrook Road stayed in the federal-grant project. The Daily News report on the 2027 delay is the latest schedule information available for it. The city and the Nation agreed to split the project so Colley could go first, and Willowbrook kept the slower schedule.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is separately designing a roundabout at the WIS 81 (White Avenue) and Milwaukee Road intersection. WisDOT's project page lists it as in design, with final plans due in August 2027 and construction expected in summer 2028. None of the research links that roundabout to the casino. It does add to the list of east-side road changes coming over the next two years.
The Building Has Its Own Second Phase
The casino has a second phase on its own schedule. According to WMTV, phase two is an 18-floor hotel with 312 rooms, a 2,000-seat conference and convention center, a rooftop lounge, a lobby bar, a pool and a spa, all scheduled to open in fall 2027.
Once both phases are done, the Daily News reports the Nation expects to employ as many as 1,500 people. The paper says that would make the Ho-Chunk Nation the largest employer in the city.
Here are the dates for that corner of town, in order:
| When | What | Who is responsible |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 23, 2026, 2 p.m. | Casino phase one grand opening | Ho-Chunk Nation |
| Late fall 2026, weather permitting | Colley Road reconstruction finished | City of Beloit, funded mostly by Ho-Chunk |
| 2027, per earlier reporting | Willowbrook Road improvements | Federal grant project, city and Ho-Chunk |
| August 2027 | Final plans for the WIS 81 and Milwaukee Road roundabout | WisDOT |
| Fall 2027 | Hotel and convention center open | Ho-Chunk Nation |
| Summer 2028 | Roundabout construction expected | WisDOT |
What The City Collects
The casino also gives the city a share of its revenue. Under the gaming compact described by the Beloit Daily News, the City of Beloit receives 1.4% of gross gaming revenue and Rock County receives 0.6%. The state's share is 5%, rising to 5.5% in any year revenue goes above $350 million. The paper notes that the city has a number of large capital needs.
The opening comes while the city is working on its 2027 budget. The Oct. 5 council agenda included the first presentation of the proposed 2027 operating, library and capital-improvement budgets. The material reviewed for this post does not show a separate line for casino revenue or a plan for spending it.
City Manager Daniel Ortiz Hernandez described the next few weeks in an email to the Daily News:
"While the casino project completes crucial milestones over the next few weeks, the City of Beloit is eager to be a strong partner to the Ho-Chunk Nation for the years to come."
Ho-Chunk President Jon Greendeer gave the Nation's view in its announcement, as reported by WMTV. "We hold so much history in this area," he said, "and now we can say we hold an amazing future to share with our friends and partners in the state line region."
For people living near Willowbrook and Colley, the coming months bring a few concrete changes. The casino floor and garage open on the 23rd. Colley Road is due back in late fall with a path and a sidewalk it didn't have before. The hotel and the next round of road work are planned for 2027 and 2028.
If you live on Beloit's east side and wonder what this schedule means for your street or your plans, Kimberley Govert-Meris follows these projects closely and is happy to talk them through with you, no pressure. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
